Doing your Math by Hand is a Great way to Keep your Mind Active

In the early years of school we learn the basics of math. Those skills definitely are used in many aspects of our lives. However, as adults we tend to rely on other methods for calculating things. 

As a result our skills aren’t nearly as sharp as they used to be. Have you ever been out with friends for lunch and then struggled to divide the total bill three ways? Simple math can become a struggle if you don’t work on it.

One of the main reasons why this part of your brain isn’t as sharp as it used to be is that we have too many handy resources. We tend to use calculators for everything including balancing our checkbook and setting up our budget for the month. Most software programs have built in calculators too so that you don’t have to check the math as you create spreadsheets or other materials either.

The retailers do this for us as well. 

For example when there is a big sale on clothing many of the items have a percentage off on them. The sign on the rack may say 30% off the retail price. Instead of having to figure out that savings on your own though the will have a chart attached to the rack. This tells you the full price and then the sales price with that 30% reduction.

So how do we get that ability to do math very well back? 

The answer lies in taking the time to practice it. 

Do your math by hand and you will be able to strengthen that part of your brain. Put the calculator aside and do your math by hand. Many people are able to do it quickly when they can visually see the numbers they are working with.

As your skills significantly improve you need to challenge yourself to do more of the math in your head. This is more difficult but as you work at it you will find that you are able to do it in no time at all. This is going to come in time as you work at it. You will be able to quickly determine how much of the bill is yours as well as how much of a tip you should leave based upon your balance that is owed.

When you go back to doing math by hand and in your mind it is going to take you more time than before. This can be frustrating if you deal with numbers often throughout the day. However, keep in mind that such exercises for the brain really do have a significant purpose. You will be pleasantly surprised too as you notice your skills improving over the course of time.

If you aren’t confident in your ability to calculate things in such a way you can keep a calculator handy. However, make a rule that you only use it after you have made a very good attempt to get the answer on your own. You can use the calculator as a way to verify that your answers are correct.

The more your challenge yourself to do your math by hand or in your mind the more your mind is going to benefit. 

When we stop using a part of our brain functions we will lose them. Don’t allow that to happen and if it already has then you have the ability to change it now.

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Can Aromatherapy Stimulate your Brain Activity?

There are many different ways that people choose to stimulate their brain activity. One of them that seems to be getting a great deal of attention these days is called aromatherapy. 

This involves lighting candles or heating up oils with various types of scents on them. These scents will trigger a variety of reactions from the brain that are positive in nature. Not everyone is a follower of such methods though because they are skeptical about such capabilities. There are other people though that will tell you that aromatherapy has changed many things in their thinking process for the better.

When it comes to the use of aromatherapy for increased brain activity, you need to do your homework. You need to be aware of what the different scents are able to offer. It is also important to note that you don’t need very much to get the job done. A few drops of essential oils are very potent and that will do the job. Don’t mix scents either as you don’t know how they will affect your brain when they are in a mix versus each one separately.

If you want to energize your brain such as when you are studying for a test or trying to write a paper you need to avoid turning to the caffeine. Instead you should try peppermint, cypress, or lemon. When you feel that your brain is on overload it is important to relax and to reduce stress levels. You won’t be able to make good decisions until you can think clearly about a topic. Some great aromatherapy scents for this include geranium, lavender, and rose.

You will have to decide for yourself if aromatherapy is something that stimulates your brain or not. There is certainly nothing negative about the use of aromatherapy so you don’t have anything to lose by trying it. Many people have done so to curb their own curiosity on the topic. Discovering if there are any such benefits first hand means that you have taken on a role of discovery. That in itself is also a great way to continue to increase your brain activity.

What may surprise you though is that your brain may already be reacting to aromatherapy around you. Many businesses already know the value of it so they use it to their advantage. They use scents that rejuvenate the brain so that you will feel good while you are in their business. 

This is important because when you leave there your mind will associate that location with positive experiences. It is very likely that you will return to that retailer again and again because of the positive influence it has on your brain activity.

Some employers have experimented with aromatherapy as well. Some of the studies indicate that production levels are higher than in the past with certain types of scents that rejuvenate the mind and to help reduce stress. 

Common mistakes also are reduced because the employees are in a better frame of mind.

The world of aromatherapy is very fascinating and one you should explore in further detail. It is one of the most natural ways to evoke positive responses relating to your brain activity. Many people burn candles of a given scent in their home to help give it a warm and inviting feeling for all that enter it. They also feel that it helps keep the harmony within the family because everyone is exhibiting healthy brain activities.

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By Experiencing New Things in your Life your Brain will be Healthier

Most people feel very comfortable with their daily routine. They know what will be taking place for the most part because it is so similar day after day. 

While it can feel comfortable to live like that your brain may be on auto pilot for much of it. If you want your brain to be healthier then you need to start experiencing new things. It can be as simple as taking a different route to get to work in the morning than you have for the past 7 years.

If you always read romance novels, pick up a good mystery and see how well you like it. You just might find that you have found a passion for something like this that you didn’t even know existed before. Turn your favorite radio station to a channel that plays another type of music for a week. In that span of time you may have a new found appreciation for it. You may have learned the lyrics to some top hits as well that are in heavy rotation on that radio station channel.

A chemical called dopamine is produced in the brain. 

This is a natural substance that helps with moods. 

The more dopamine you produce the happier you will be. 

Research has shown that when the brain is exposed to new images and new experiences that it will begin to make more dopamine. As a result the ability to retain information about such events both in the short term memory and the long term memory are improved upon.

You can offer yourself some new challenges as well. 

For example instead of renting the newest movie on the top ten list rent a documentary on a subject you aren’t familiar with. There will likely be a great deal of learning by the time you are done viewing it. You may have some questions as well that trigger your desire to find out more information about the subject.

New social experiences are a good idea too if you want a healthier brain. For example if you usually go to casual restaurants get dressed up and go out to one that is fancy. If you usually drive in the city take a cab or ride the bus. 

Allow your mind and your eyes to take in everything around you including the people and the scenery. Since you won’t have to keep your eyes on the road the brain is going to be more receptive to things you likely overlooked on that same commute before.

As we experience new things our brain is learning and it is processing. This awakens a part of it that may have been dormant for a long time based on your same old routine. 

You will also find that you look forward to each new day when you have some adventure to look towards. You can experience new things on a small scale at first to get yourself comfortable with it. Then you can move on to larger ones like traveling to a foreign country or learning a new language.

The fact that your brain can continue to change and to build new neurological paths is very interesting. Don’t waste the ability you have though to allow it to experience more than it has. Life is really too short to spend it doing the same things day after day. You will find you are happier overall when you add some adventures to your life.

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Are you Thinking on Auto Pilot?

The brain is a fascinating aspect of our bodies because so much of who we are is controlled there. It is common though to get caught up in a pattern of behavior when it comes to thinking. 

If you are doing it all on auto pilot then it is time to change the way you think! You will definitely get more out of life when you take such an approach. It will improve your relationships, your attitude, your work environment, and even how you feel about yourself.

It can be hard to really assess your thinking process when you are on auto pilot. Try to do so objectively though so you can see things in a new light. Think about something you do at home or work all the time. Now ask yourself why you do it that way. If the answer is because that is the way it has always been done, you aren’t really thinking about it. Now that you have identified the situation, put some serious thought into the process. 

If there a better way that it can be done?

Relationships can be tricky as well as difficult. If you find some of them that you have to be stressful at times, you need to change your way of thinking. What is it about the relationship that doesn’t flow well? Do you have the same conversation over and over again with your spouse, child, or other person in you life? Is the outcome always the same no matter what? If so, then it could be due to the fact that one of you or both of you is on auto pilot when it comes to your thinking.

A great way to change that is to ask the other person what they are thinking. Once they tell you, ask them why they feel that way about it. When you respond to them, ask yourself the same thing. What is it that is triggering such a response? Is that the pattern on behavior that you always go with? 

If so, then why not try something new because obviously what you are doing now and what you have done in the past wasn’t productive.

The work place environment is a great opportunity for you to change your way of thinking. Many people go to work each day, do their job, and go home. There is likely to be many areas of you job where you can do it differently with the same or better results. 

As you start to identify those areas, write them down. Present your plans to your boss and see if they are willing to allow you to try them. Most employers love to see employees taking such initiative.

When you make the conscious decision to change the way you think, you can remove many of the negative things around you from your life. You can focus your energy on the positive around you. Look for solutions that fit the situation instead of going on auto pilot and doing what you always have in the past. At first you will have to really think about it to make it work. However, it will soon become part of your regular behaviors that you engage in.

Other people will appreciate you more too because you will be giving them a fair chance to explore their own ideas. You won’t be cutting them off with your automated response to their situation. As a result you will find that you are happier, you have less stress, and that your various relationships with others have improved. If you are thinking on auto pilot you may be getting several things done, but you are really only going through the motions with them. 

You need to make sure you are fully exploring all your options. Don’t just accept what is in front of you at face value. There is certainly much more out there being offered to you if you are receptive to it. Once you have made the choice to change this type of thinking, you will start to notice those opportunities more and more throughout your day.

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A Unique Way to Improve your Cognitive Abilities is to help your Kids with Homework

As a parent we want to make sure our children are doing well in school. One way to make sure is to help them with their homework. Now, you may be chuckling to yourself remembering how long ago it was that you were in school. 

Some of the learning styles have changed since then but the basics of the materials remains the same. By helping your kids with their homework you can improve your cognitive abilities.

At first you may feel completely out of the loop. 

For example your child may be taking an algebra class. 

There are many rules to follow for it and most of us don’t remember them. 

Take the time to follow the examples in the book to see what you can figure out. A great way to help your child to check their math homework is to do several of the problems on your own sheet of paper. Have your child do the same thing and then compare answers. If you find that some of them are different work those problems together to find the right answer.

English is another course where you can improve your cognitive abilities when helping your kids with homework. Do you readily recall all of those rules relating to the different parts of speech? 

Don’t worry if you don’t off hand because most adults will have to say that they don’t either. As you relearn this material you will be able to help your child with his or her homework. 

You will also be able to enhance your own skills.

When your children discover you have a vested interest in their school work they will be more motivated to complete it. 

They will feel confident coming to you for help with it as well. 

You can use that time together to bond in a way that you haven’t been able to before. Many children are intimidated to ask their teachers for help. Yet they don’t mind asking their parents.

Too often though as parents we don’t have the right information to help them learn it. By keeping on top of what your children are learning you can help them do their very best in school. At the same time you will be exercising your own brain and improving your cognitive abilities. If you have several children make sure you learn what they are doing at the various levels.

If you aren’t able to learn what you need to from your child’s school books, look around online. 

There are plenty of sites dedicated to helping parent’s learn such information. You can also contact the school and ask the teacher to help you if you are puzzled by certain formulas or information that your child is being asked to use for their homework.

You will be surprised by how much of the information you retain learning it this second time around. 

Then as your younger children move up to more advanced work you will already have the skills you need to complete it. 

Another benefit of all of this is that it gives you a new way to look at things. Instead of just telling your children to go do their homework you have a first hand understanding of what they need to accomplish as well as the time it takes to do it.

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